Non sweet binder for savory food product

Abstract

The present invention relates to non sweet food binder composition. Particularly, the food binder composition can be used in the preparation of savory snack bars, savory nutritional bars, or in savory food products used as snack or meal replacement, containing varied levels of protein, fiber, minerals, vitamins and other bioactive substances or nutritional supplements.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims priority on U.S. provisional application No. 60 / 717,760 filed Sep. 19, 2005 which is enclosed herewith in its entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to a non sweet binder composition for savory food product, method of preparation and uses of the binder. The present invention also relates to a non sweet binder that can be used in the manufacture of savory nutritional bar and methods of producing such savory nutritional bars. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Food binder is generally a complicated mixture of carbohydrate protein, oil and fat, water and air, as well as a variety of other minute components such as minerals, vitamins and flavors. The food binder is usually submitted to a wide range of thermal treatments (such as baking, boiling, steaming and / or freezing) and mechanical treatments (such as kneading, mixing, extruding, etc.) all of which further complicate the structure of...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0014] According to one aspect, the present invention provides a savory food binder composition comprising: (i) between about 10 to 25% by weight of moisture content, (ii) less to about 10% by weight of a fat, (iii) between about 5 to about 50% by weight of a food hydrocolloid, and (iv) between about 10 to about 80% by weight of a non-hydrocolloid carbohydrate. In an embodiment, the fat is in a form selected from the group consisting of an oil, a shortening, a saturated fat and an unsaturated fat. In another embodiment, the hydrocolloid is selected from the group consisting of Arabic gum, agar agar, calcium carboxymethylcellulose, carrageenan, guar gum, ghatti gum, tragacanth gum, henna powder, locust bean gum, menthol crystal, propylene glycol alginate, psyllium, sodium alginate, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, tara gum, xanthan gum, pectin and vanilla bean. In yet a further embodiment, the hydrocolloid is Arabic gum. In yet another embodiment, the non-hydrocolloid carbohydrate is selected from the group consisting of a monosaccharide (such as glucose, fructose and / or galactose), a disaccharide (such as sucrose, lactose and / or maltose), a sugar alcohol (such as sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, erythritol, maltitol, lactitol and / or glycerol), an oligosaccharide (such as raffinose, stachyose, verbascose and / or fructooligosaccharide) and a polysaccharide (such as starch, inulin and / or polydextrose). In yet. another embodiment, the non-hydrocolloid carbohydrate is under form of a syrup or a solid. In still another embodiment, the binder composition further comprises less then about 30% by weight of glycerin. In still a further embodiment, the binder composition further comprises less than about 5% by weight of an emulsifier. In yet a further embodiment, the binder composition has between about 75% and about 90% of total solids, and still in yet a further embodiment, between about 80% and 90% of total solids. In still another embodiment, the binder composition further comprises a sweetness suppressant.

[0015] According to another aspect, the present invention provides a food composition comprising the savory food binder composition described herein. In an embodiment, the food composition is a savory food. In another embodiment, the food composition is a Granola-type bar comprising between about 5 to about 50% by weight of a protein, and in yet a further embodiment, the Granola-type bar comprises fortification. In still another embodiment, the food composition is a crispy-type bar comprising between about 5 to about 50% by weight of a protein. In yet a further embodiment, the food composition is a low glycemic index savory bar. In still another embodiment, the food composition has a shape selected from the group consisting of a bar, a ball, a bite size, a square and an irregular shape.

Problems solved by technology

The food binder is usually submitted to a wide range of thermal treatments (such as baking, boiling, steaming and / or freezing) and mechanical treatments (such as kneading, mixing, extruding, etc.) all of which further complicate the structure of the food.

Confectionery and baking industries use food binders in variety of ways, however, most of them are sweet in taste (e.g. sugar-based) which limits their application to sweet confections.

Binders having low solid content or a high moisture content are usually of poor quality with unacceptable texture and a very limited shelf-life (high moisture binder allows microbial spoilage).

However, the use of this binder in crispy nutritional savory is impossible because its soluble solid content is not high enough to make it flowable.

In addition, because of the presence of very large amount of moisture available for migration, the food product having this binder has a very short shelf-life and undesirable texture.

However, this binder has no practical application in the development of crispy / crunchy food product due to its high moisture content which makes the final product soggy.

The final product has also a very limited shelf-life.

This type of binder is not suitable for confectionery savory application due to its high moisture content and undesirable Theological properties.

Despite these existing binders described above, none of them can satisfactorily be used to make adequate binder for savory application (especially in crispy / crunchy food products), there still remains a need for development in the area of food binders for savory application.